It is my great joy to share on the Spirit of JESUS Testimony, bound in the Gates of Zion’s Twelve Angels. I speak of Zion above; of New Jerusalem that descends upon a new heaven, and a new earth; described in Revelation 21, as the Tabernacle of God and a Bride Adorned. I speak of Christ’s Body, His Church.
Each Angel is a portion of JESUS Testimony, bound first in the flesh of Jacobs Twelve Son’s and the Tribes that descended from them. But later, heard in the Gospel the Apostles and servants of Jesus preached, in the ‘Seven Times’ of the nations. And also seen in the Tribes gathered from the Four Winds in the Book of Revelation.
In each Angel, God’s ordained purpose creates. It creates a people to glorify JESUS Name and Christ. Not a people born of the flesh but born of the Spirit. I pray the LORD opens the Gates of His Testimony in you, and open with a prayer of David; a King, a Prophet, and Priest in Spirit.
Psalm 102: “When the LORD shall build Zion, he shall appear in his glory. He will regard the prayer of the destitute and not despise their prayer. This shall be written for the generation to come and a people which shall be created shall praise the LORD. For he has looked down from the height of his sanctuary. From heaven did the LORD behold the earth; To hear the groaning of the prisoner; to loose those that are appointed to death. To declare the Name of the LORD in Zion, and his Praise in Jerusalem;” (Psalm 102: 16-21)
Christians tend to comprehend Israel in the context of those tribes, which descended from Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. And yet in Scripture we read: “When the Most High divided to the nations their inheritance, when he separated the sons of Adam, he set the bounds of the people according to the number of the children of Israel.” (Deut 32:8) However, I begin this sharing, as the Tribes of Israel journey from Egypt to the land of Canaan in their Tribal Divisions.
In the Seven Trumpets, I spoke of “Two Silver Trumpets” that were blown to announce Israel’s Sabbath days, months, their Times of Release, and their Feasts. These Silver Trumpets were also sounded to warn them of war, and to command the divisions of Israel to journey, and to make camp.
Israel’s ‘Army’ consisted of Four Divisions; each division consisted of three tribes making Twelve Tribes in total. In their camp formation they faced East, South, West, and North. The beginning of these things is seen in the four mothers who bare Jacob twelve sons. And the end in the Book of Revelations’ New Jerusalem where each of the Four Walls also has three tribal gates. Twelve in Total. So, the formation of Israel’s divisions in the Old Testament will help us to understand the Gates of Zion above.
In the midst of the tribal camp, dwelt the three families of Levi, the Priesthood, which served the Tabernacle of Witness, and the Congregation of Israel. When the Trumpets commanded Israel to journey, the Eastern Division led by the Tribe of Judah went first. Behind them came the Levite families of Gershon and Merari, who carried the instruments of the Outer Court; the Tabernacle and its coverings upon carts borne by oxen.
When the Trumpets sounded a second time, the Southern Division led by Reuben journeyed, followed by the Levite family of Kohath, who carried the inner vessels of the Sanctuary, and the Ark of the Covenant upon their shoulders. After the Ark, came the Western Division led by the tribe of Ephraim, and at the rear came the Northern Division, led by the tribe of Dan.
This is the formation of Israel’s Divisions under the Covenant the Apostle Paul called, the Law of Sin and Death. I make this point, to show the difference between the purpose of the Spirit of Prophecy, bound in the Sons of Jacob under the Covenant of the Law, and those prophecies, bound in the Tribal Gates of New Jerusalem’s Covenant above.
To illustrate this let’s look at parts of the prophecies Jacob’s wife Leah, and Jacob and Moses made over Judah. When Leah gave birth to her fourth son, she said; “now shall I praise the LORD.” So Judah’s name means ‘Praised.’
Just before his death, Jacob blessed Judah saying; “Judah is a lion’s whelp: – who shall make him stand? The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet until Shiloh come, and to him shall the people gather.” (Genesis 49: 9-12)
And from Moses; “Hear LORD the voice of Judah; bring him to his people.” (Deuteronomy 33:7)
Now, the Testimony of JESUS is bound in the Spirit of Prophecy; (Revelation 19:10) Not only in the prophecies made over Judah, but also the Twelve Tribes. Remember too, that in Joseph there are two parts: Ephraim and Manasseh. From these prophecies let’s compare JESUS’ purpose in both the Old and New Testaments.
In the time of Moses, Israel journeyed in four divisions from Sinai. Judah, whose tribal banner is that of a Lion, led out the Eastern Division first. In the Book of Revelation, the Lion is the 1st of Four Beasts, which beasts represent the Four Gospels. And again, Judah is the first of the Twelve Tribes and Gates, named in Revelation.
As Israel journeyed then, so JESUS’ Gospel is preached now. As the Levites carried the Tabernacle of Witness and the Ark of the Covenant in two parts, so in Revelation, the Spirit of Prophecy in the Two Witnesses, bound in the Songs of Moses and the Lamb, declare their portions in the times of the nations. When we see and believe then JESUS’ journey begins in us, as He brings us to Himself; from Sinai to the promised-land; from the bondage of the Law to JESUS Faith; from the Earthly to the Spiritual.
Concerning the Scepter of Judah’s rule, we see it passed down to David, anointed king by Samuel the LORD’S Prophet. And from David, came the Christ in the flesh, of whom the people testified; “Hosanna: Blessed is the King of Israel that comes in the name of the LORD.” And so we see the prophecies made over Judah apply in both the ‘Old and New Testaments.’ One tells of the Earthly, and the other, the Spiritual.
And the Lion Jacob foresaw in Judah the Elder, proclaims in Revelation; “behold the Lion of the Tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has prevailed to open the Book.” And this Book declares; “I JESUS have sent my angel to testify to you these things in the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David. (Revelation 22:16)
Jacob’s blessing also saw the Lawgiver come out of Judah, and yet, Moses, the Lawgiver in ancient Israel came out of Levi. And so, while we see the Spirit of Prophecy in Gods’ Word in motion in the dispensation of Israel’s Tribes, they only align perfectly in JESUS. For Christ who came out of Judah brought an ever-living Law. Where Moses preached an eye for an eye, Jesus taught; we are to love our enemy. And here we understand Moses’ prophecy;
“Hear LORD the voice of Judah.”
So brethren, as I prepare to share on the Twelve Gates of New Jerusalem above, to avoid confusion I will not share on the Spirit of Prophecy bound in ancient Israel. That said, a discernment gifted to Joshua, the son of Nun, will help. Joshua, when dividing the borders of each tribe’s inheritance to them by lot in the promised-land, relied on the prophecies made over them by the four mothers who bare the sons of Jacob, as well as the blessings of Jacob and Moses over the twelve tribes.
Some of them are easily discerned geographically, like Zebulon, who dwelt beside the Mediterranean Sea of whom it is written; “Zebulon shall dwell at the haven of the sea; and he shall be for a haven of ships;” (Genesis 49:13)
Whereas others, like the Tribe of Gad, require Scriptural interpretation; of Gad it is written: “And he provided the first part for himself, because there in a portion of the lawgiver, was he seated;” (Deuteronomy 33:21) And so, Gads’ inheritance lay on the east of the Jordan River, in an area outside the promised-land where Moses was laid to rest.
Of Simeon and Levi, Jacob said; “I will divide them in Jacob and scatter them in Israel.” (Genesis 49:7) And so the Tribe of Simeon dwelt within Judah’s inheritance where the Patriarch Jacob is buried. The Levites and their families were scattered and lived among all the tribes of Israel.
And some are spiritually discerned, like Benjamin, of whom it is written; “the beloved of the LORD shall dwell in safety by him; and the LORD shall cover him all day long, and he shall dwell between his shoulders.” (Deuteronomy 33:12)
So, when Joshua cast lots in Shiloh before the LORD, it is written; “there Joshua divided the land to the children of Israel according to their divisions. And the lot of the tribe of Benjamin came up according to their families, and the coast of their lot came forth between the children of Judah and the children of Joseph.” (Joshua 18:10-11)
As Joshua placed each Tribe in their inheritance, where they dwelt according to the prophecies made over them, it was conditional upon them keeping the Commandments of God. In the same way, JESUS places Zion’s inheritance in those of us who keep the Faith of Jesus, and the Commandments of God. I pray the Lord JESUS Christ creates in you, and in me, a new heart, and a new mind through His Holy Spirit.
LORD JESUS, lay in each of us, the stones of your glory in Jesus’ name. Amen.
PART-2 of 5 coming…..
